


The Phone Calls

by Eternal Scribe (Shadowcat)



Category: Tomorrow Series - John Marsden, Tomorrow When the War Began - All Media Types
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-19
Updated: 2013-12-19
Packaged: 2018-01-05 05:17:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1090048
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shadowcat/pseuds/Eternal%20Scribe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After one more tragedy happens to their group, it's up to Homer to make the phone calls to their mates.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Phone Calls

**Author's Note:**

> Set in the very beginning of the first Ellie Chronicle -- While I Live.

It was Homer who took it upon himself to make the calls.

He called his place first because they were the closest and he knew his parents and brother would help him take care of Ellie. No, more that he knew they would think of things that he wasn’t currently able to process. He and Ellie could usually take care of things themselves – the war had proven that – but this just seemed too big for them to handle right now. Too big and too personal.

His brother picked up after the second ring. “Yannos.”

“George.”

Something in his voice must have alerted his older brother that there was a major problem because his response was soft.

“Homer? What’s happened?”

“We need you. And mum and dad, as well. At the Linton’s.”

“What’s happened to Ellie?” It was a logical leap to make.

“Not Ellie, no. Her parents.” Homer took a breath. “They’ve been killed. Ellie just found their bodies.”

George’s intake of breath was loud enough to hear through the phone. “We’re on our way, Homer.”

Homer immediately began dialing again after he hung up with his brother. Thankfully the phone was answered right away. When he heard the right voice, he let out a sigh of relief.

“Ellie needs you.”

“Homer?” Fi’s voice was immediately full of concern.

Homer swallowed past the lump that was still growing in his throat. “Yeah, it’s me. Fi… Ellie’s parents and Mrs. Mac… they were murdered.”

“No,” Fi whimpered. “Oh gosh, no. I’m so sorry for you both, Homer.”

“I don’t even know how to do this, Fi. They were always a second home to me and the fact that they were gunned down… in their own home…”

“Wait, what? Someone killed them in their own home? What about Gavin?”

“Gavin was with us,” he assured her. “The three of us were hiking up to the Stitch when we heard the gunshots.”

“You heard – Homer, how are you holding up with all of this?”

It was always so soothing talking to Fi. The break up between them had been mutual and there were no hard feelings. They were still very close friends and he appreciated that more than ever right now. His closest friend was a walking wreck right now and Fi understood that he needed to help.

“God, Fi. I just… Haven’t we all lost enough? Haven’t war and enemies taken enough from all of us? We’ve been through so much and now Ellie gets to add the nightmares of hearing her parents murdered by enemy soldiers to her pile of trauma.”

“You guys are lucky you weren’t there.”

“I know. Trust me, I know. Just like the day of the invasion, we were somewhere else.”

“Do you think they were targeted because of the things we did during the war?”

“I’m trying not to think of that possibility, to be honest. Right now, I’m just trying to get things rolling and keep Ellie breathing. Can you come, Fi?”

“Of course I can. My mum will bring me right away.”

It took the next person his list a few moments to pick up. When they did, the person on the other end sounded a little frazzled. He supposed suddenly being the father to your siblings would do that.

“Lee.”

“Hey, mate.”

“Homer?”

He couldn’t see him, but Homer could imagine how Lee’s posture suddenly changed. He would bet that Lee’s hand had even tightened around the phone. Like with George, Lee just knew from the sound of his voice that something really bad had happened. He didn’t know how they did that because he thought his voice sounded the same at it always did. Maybe it was a little more tired, but after what had happened, he would be tired, right?

“We need you.”

It was easier telling one of the other guys, no telling _Lee_ that they needed him. He and Lee had become pretty close friends during the war – and they had bonded on a deeper level while they were in prison and believing that Ellie had been killed in their last attempt at sabotage. Lee wouldn’t try to make nice of the situation. Like Homer, he would want to take care of Ellie and Gavin – and then track down who was responsible for this.

“I’m on my way. How long do you need me?”

Not “What’s happened?” or “I don’t know if I can make it.” No, Lee hadn’t even asked what had happened only reacted to the fact that his friends needed him.

“I don’t know for how long, Lee,” Homer said honestly and I know I have no right to ask because you have your brothers and sisters to take care of –“

“Homer. I’m on my way. Do I need to bring anything?”

“Ellie –“

“What’s happened to Ellie?” Lee’s voice was sharper, more dangerous now. Homer let himself smile a little bit. Lee sounded like he would feel after the shock of the day wore off.

“Her parents and Mrs. Mac were murdered by soldiers from across the border today.”

 _”What?!”_ There was so much venom and anger in Lee’s voice, but he still managed to not yell or raise it in any way.

“Yeah. We heard the shots and Ellie went running, followed by me and Gavin –“

“Is Ellie?”

“No, god no. I don’t think I would be in any state to be calling up our mates if she was killed, too.” That was something that Homer had been trying not to think about. If Ellie hadn’t been with him and Gavin for a hike up the Stitch she could have been gunned down with her parents. “We were headed up the Stitch on a hike when we heard the shots. By the time we got to the farm, it was over. Her mum and Mrs. Mac were in the kitchen. Ellie found her dad out in one of the machining sheds.” He let the horror fill his voice a little. Lee would understand. “He took three of the bastards down before they got him. Her parents, though, it wasn’t clean, Lee. It was only one bullet for Mrs. Mac, but Mr. and Mrs. Linton... there was a lot of damage. I can’t imagine that her mum fought back, so that many bullets…”

He waited while Lee went off with what he had figured out by now were several curse words in Vietnamese or Thai. He was impressed at the string of them that Lee managed to pull together.

“I have some friends who will watch the kids for me for a little while,” Lee finally said when he had finished cursing. “I’ll be there as soon as I can. And Homer?”

“Yeah, Lee?”

“We’ll get the bastards.”

“I was hoping you’d say that.”

Homer hung up, feeling like some of the weight had been taken off of his shoulders. Lee had said the words that he’d been thinking since they’d found the bodies. He’d want vengeance just for that, but it was an extra thing because of what he had seen happen to Ellie as he was watching. One minute she had been laughing and teasing him. The next moment it was like everything that made her Ellie had been hollowed out of her.

He left a message for Kevin with his parents and then called the last person on his list. After talking with the General for several minutes, Homer rang off and for a moment, he just stared at the phone. How was it that the number of people that he and Ellie trusted to care had been whittled down to a mere handful of people? The war had taken almost everyone from them and he was angry that there weren’t more people that he could call.

He heard his brother call out and he turned away from the phone to go meet them in the kitchen. There was a lot to do, but at least they wouldn’t be doing it alone right now.

If Ellie couldn’t fight, then he and Lee would go do the fighting for her. He’d make the other side pay for taking away Ellie’s security. It’s what mates did for each other, after all.


End file.
